This invention relates to reel mowers and, in particular, gang mowers for use with home garden tractors.
Reel grass mowers are well known as, for example, manual push mowers with a pair of forward ground engaging wheels and a stabilizing rear roller to also engage the ground. The forward wheels are geared when moved forwardly to a rotatable reel carrying blades which rotate adjacent a cutting bar to cut grass. A user pushes the mower forwardly by a rigid handle.
Reel gang mowers are well known as used frequently on golf courses and other wide open areas requiring grass cutting. Reel gang mowers utilize a plurality of reel mowers moved together over the grass in an array which permits a swath of the cut to be as wide as desired having regard to the number of reels used. Gang mowers are recognized for their ability to mow a given area in a shorter period of time than that possible with rotary mowers having a cutting blade which rotates about a vertical axis.
Many known reel gang mowers suffer the disadvantage that they require relatively powerful tractors to move them.
Many known reel gang mowers suffer the disadvantage that they are only adapted to be moved in a forward direction. Typically, reel gang mowers are not capable of moving in a reverse direction as can be useful in repositioning the tractor and gang reel combination during normal use.
Many known reel gang mowers are coupled to the front of a tractor and pushed by the tractor. Such reel gang mowers typically suffer the disadvantage that the mowers cannot usefully be moved in a reverse direction and lifting mechanisms are provided to lift the gang mowers to move rearwardly and for repositioning. Such lifting mechanisms are complex and add costs.
Many known reel gang mowers are coupled to the rear of the tractor and drawn by the tractor by means of a hitch which pivots about a vertical axis relative the tractor. The present inventor has appreciated that such gang mowers suffer the disadvantage that they cannot be pushed in a reverse direction without difficulties in jackknifing as associated with a trailer. The jackknifing is of increasing difficulty to the extent that there is more than one effective hitch about which the mowers pivots relative the tractor.
Most known gang mowers suffer the disadvantage that they have relatively complex and heavy coupling systems and/or reel drive mechanisms which increase the cost of the mowers above that practical for homeowners.
Many known gang mowers suffer the disadvantage that they have difficulty in maintaining the front wheels of the mower in contact with the ground sufficiently to drive the cutting reel. Many mowers have the disadvantage of providing drive to the cutting reel independently of the front wheels as by hydraulic motors.
To at least partially overcome these disadvantages of known devices, the present invention provides a mounting arrangement for a reel mower permitting the mower to roll over the ground in both a forward direction and a rear direction with the mower being drawn in the forward direction pivotable about a generally vertical caster axis forward relative the mower and with the mower being drawn in the rear direction rotatable about a generally vertical caster axis rearward relative the mower.
An object of the present invention is to provide a mounting for a reel mower and, particularly, a reel mower in a gang, which permits the mower to roll on the ground both forwardly and rearwardly without jackknifing.
Another object is to provide an inexpensive reel mower construction.
Another object is to provide a mounting arrangement for a gang of reel mowers which provides for improved ground contact between the wheels of the mowers.
Another object is to provide a gang of reel mowers which can be used to mow grass with a minimal expenditure of energy as, for example, for use with an electrically powered, rechargeable tractor.